2"wide x 10" high x 8' long box construction question

yolos 2/26/2012, 9:00 pm

For those of you experienced with construction of a 2"x10"x8' raised bed (pine), do I need any type of supporting brace about halfway down the 8' length ?? I am trying to decide whether the 8' long bed will bow in the middle. 2"wide x 10" high x 8' long box construction question 601593

2"wide x 10" high x 8' long box construction question 601593

**jamesindetroit** 2/26/2012, 9:28 pm

Is this raised bed a Tabletop?

If it is, are using ply on the bottom or hardware cloth?

If it is cloth, I would use braces every 2.5 feet or so.

**camprn** 2/26/2012, 9:50 pm

yolos wrote:For those of you experienced with construction of a 2"x10"x8' raised bed (pine), do I need any type of supporting brace about halfway down the 8' length ?? I am trying to decide whether the 8' long bed will bow in the middle.

It might. you can do a few things, add a thwart, like on a canoe. Drive a stake on the outside of the board. Drive a stake on the inside of the board and then screw them together. I bet there are a few other remedies out there.

Ha-v-v 2/26/2012, 9:57 pm

Most of my beds are 8ft long, 4 made from 2ftx8x6'' then I have 6 2ftx8ftx8'' they have not bowed. I would see it happening easier with the 1x's
2"wide x 10" high x 8' long box construction question Img_0510

2"wide x 10" high x 8' long box construction question Img_0510

The only problem I have is the pine rots faster. I will eventually go to a 1ftx6ftx6'' cedar boards Smile

making my beds 3ftx6ft. The 1x's I can see that they might need some support, but I wont know until I redo beds and I hope that wont be for another couple years.
The hoops on this bed were just put on in Dec.
Ha-v-v

yolos 2/26/2012, 10:43 pm

Jamesindetroit - no they are not tabletops.

Ha-v-v - Thanks for your response.

plantoid 2/27/2012, 8:05 am

You could also put in a 3/16 galvanized steel wire a few inches down that has eye bolts & big penny washers each end to pull in the boards & hold them at the right width , but wooden stake would be easier and cheaper .

I8 inch or so lengths 1/2 to 1 inch of rebar could also be used as pegs on the outside of the boards providing your a good shot with a heavy hammer . Wink

They wont rot quite as quick as any wooden boards on the ground or wooden ones in it.

curio 2/27/2012, 8:14 am

I have two boxes that are 8' and 10' long respectively, both using 2x6x6" cedar. One has been in service for probably 6 years now, and has never even thought about bowing. There are no supports on these boxes, and I don't anticipate them ever needing one.
One thing about the Mel's Mix as opposed to garden soil or conventional compost/soil mixes is the weight. The MM is MUCH lighter than the other, and won't put as much pressure on the boards from the inside (if that makes sense)

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2"wide x 10" high x 8' long box construction question

2"wide x 10" high x 8' long box construction question

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support for boxes

Re: 2"wide x 10" high x 8' long box construction question


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